Plenty of Nintendo’s biggest IPs made it into the latest Nintendo Direct, but a few outsiders had surprise appearances as well. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Lucasfilm Games and Aspyr are working together to portStar Wars: The Force Unleashedto Switch. Originally released in 2008,Star Wars: The Force Unleashedtells the story of Galen Marek, better known as Starkiller, who temporarily served as Darth Vader’s apprentice before turning against the Empire and helping form the Rebel Alliance. WhileThe Force Unleashedisn’t canonical anymore, it still offers a compelling examination of the Empire’s early days and a thrillingStar Warsexperience.
The Force Unleashedis a great nostalgic Switch port, especially since the Switch can emulate the Wii’s motion controls, but it’s a little surprising.There’s so manyStar Warsgamesalready in the works that bringingThe Force Unleashedback almost seems counter-intuitive; it has so many peers to compete with. However, it could be part of a long-term strategy on the part of Lucasfilm Games. For years,Star Warsfans have heard rumors thatThe Force Unleashed 3was in development, so the Switch port could be building hype for the franchise’s revival.
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The Force Unleashed 3 Rumors
The Force Unleashedsaw huge success in 2008, selling several million copies, so LucasArts aimed to turn Starkiller’s story into a franchise.The Force Unleashed 2wasn’t particularly popular among critics or fans due to its short runtime and weaker story overall. LucasArts started planning a third game in the series, to the relief of fans dissatisfied withThe Force Unleashed 2’s cliffhanger ending, butThe Force Unleashed 3was canceledand Disney closed LucasArts after it acquired Lucasfilm in 2013.
LucasArts' closure seemingly doomedThe Force Unleashed 3,but for some time rumors that the franchise could make a comeback have circulated online. In 2020, Disney insider Daniel Richtman claimed thatDisney and EA were working together onThe Force Unleashed 3,which made sense given EA had an exclusive deal to developStar Warsgames at the time. Overall, the rumors seemed doubtful due to how long the series has laid dormant, but thanks to this latest Nintendo Direct,The Force Unleashedmay be alive and well.
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Hope for The Force Unleashed’s Revival
If EA and Disney really have been working on a newForce Unleashedgame for the last year-and-a-half,putting the original game on the Switch makes perfect sense.The Switch port ofThe Force Unleashedcan get original fans nostalgic for the franchise while drumming up interest among youngerStar Warsfans who missed out. If the first game’s port is a success, it wouldn’t be surprising if Lucasfilm announces a port forThe Force Unleashed 2alongside the long-awaited third game.
For the time being, it’s entirely possible that there isn’t aForce Unleashed 3in the works. Disney hasn’t really weighed in onThe Force Unleashedand what it might like to do with the IP. Perhaps more importantly,Star Warsis seeing a major cultural resurgence thanks to Disney’saggressive expansion ofStar Warsstories;The Force Unleashed’s port may simply be meant to cash in on that hype. Still, if there’s even a chance thatThe Force Unleashed 3is in the works, the first game’s port is a big deal. Until Disney officially discussesThe Force Unleashed 3,the port could be a sign of things to come.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashedreleases Jun 20, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.
